Small vehicles such as the John Deere heavy duty utility vehicle are commonly being used for turf maintenance activities since they are highly maneuverable, are equipped to operate over a low speed range, cause minimum turf damage due to their low tire pressures, and are readily adaptable to the use of a variety of special attachments utilized in turf maintenance applications.
These utility vehicles place the operator station in the forward end, the cargo bed behind the operator and the engine and/or related drive components beneath the bed. When an attachment such as a sprayer assembly is utilized with the utility vehicle to apply fertilizer, insecticides, herbicides and related treatments, it has either been secured to the cargo bed or the bed has been removed and the assembly has been rigidly secured to the vehicle frame.
Because sprayer assemblies are bulky, including a large fluid tank and an elaborate boom apparatus, it is preferable that the bed be removed and they be mounted close to the vehicle frame to provide a low center of gravity and better stability. Since the engine and/or related drive components are commonly housed beneath the cargo bed or sprayer assembly, access to them for service, maintenance and repairs can be difficult.
One sprayer assembly has been rigidly mounted to a utility vehicle slightly above its frame, once the cargo bed has been removed. This opening, provided between the frames of the vehicle and assembly, allows the operator to reach between the vehicle frame and the assembly to service the engine and/or related components. While this permits minor service tasks such as the checking of fluid levels to be carried out, major repairs and/or maintenance can be very difficult or may require that the sprayer assembly be removed. Since this assembly has been fixed to the vehicle, it is not quickly and easily removed to allow for service or use of other attachments with the vehicle.